County food-access profile · Missouri
Jefferson County, MO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Jefferson County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 31.0%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 7.1%
- on SNAP
- 229K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.0% of Jefferson County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 22
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.0%
- below poverty line
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).
USDA data puts Jefferson County's low-access share at 31.0%, above the national share. 22 of the county's 42 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 67,874 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 18,262 low-income residents.
How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts
The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.
How Jefferson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jefferson County's 31.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #877 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 42 census tracts in Jefferson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jefferson County vs. other Missouri counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Missouri
- Jefferson
Jefferson County, MO
31 % low-access
- Adair
Adair County, MO
27.3 % low-access
- Andrew
Andrew County, MO
15.8 % low-access
- Atchison 5.1
Atchison County, MO
5.1 % low-access
- Audrain
Audrain County, MO
22.6 % low-access
- Barry
Barry County, MO
19.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 42 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 218,733 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 22 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 67,874 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,262 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 229,458 |
| Median Household Income | $82,851 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,252 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 7.1% of Jefferson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,252 households here.
- 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).
USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).
What the food-access data shows for Jefferson County
above the national share
5 of Jefferson County's 42 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.9% of all its tracts.
A further 17 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 22.
An estimated 67,874 residents, roughly 31.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,262 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 20 tracts (47.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 135 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 73 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 73
- 7-eleven store #20200d, arnold
- 7-eleven store 29027 f, festus
- arch energy lc 538, fenton
- arnold express mart, arnold
- arnold phillips 66 9, arnold
- brittons quick shop, hillsboro
- casey's 3315, hillsboro
- casey's general store 2036, crystal city
- casey's general store 2039, de soto
- cedar hill express mart, cedar hill
- cedar hill motomart 3358, cedar hill
- circle k 1602, cedar hill
- circle k 1603, fenton
- circle k 1609, house springs
- circle k 1632, herculaneum
- circle k 1636, arnold
- circle k 4701600, hillsboro
- circle k 4701601, imperial
- circle k 4701604, high ridge
- circle k 4701634, arnold
- circle k 4701640, arnold
- circle k 4701676, arnold
- crystal city marathon 111, crystal city
- cwic chips 66 n/a, festus
- desoto fuels, inc, de soto
- dittmer bp, dittmer
- eagle mart, house springs
- express mart barnhart 5008, barnhart
- express mart festus 5004, festus
- express mart pevely 5001, pevely
- express mart seckman 5014, imperial
- festus fuel & foodmart, festus
- festus west express mart, festus
- fish's quick stop, inc., de soto
- gas mart 7, imperial
- good 4 u nutrition, arnold
- hian llc, de soto
- hillsboro express mart, hillsboro
- house springs bp, house springs
- jeffco bp, arnold
- karens kwik mart, barnhart
- liberty petroleum inc., de soto
- love's travel stop 887, herculaneum
- lp mart house springs 43, house springs
- mahil petroleum, fenton
- midwest petroleum 26, festus
- midwest petroleum 27, imperial
- midwest petroleum 37, festus
- midwest petroleum 5, arnold
- mobil on the run 1620, imperial
- mobil on the run 300, festus
- mobil on the run 325, pevely
- murphy express 8843, high ridge
- murphy usa 5775, festus
- neighborhood grocery, crystal city
- new fenton market, fenton
- pevely shell, pevely
- pilot travel center 718, pevely
- quick stop, arnold
- quick stop, high ridge
- quiktrip 611, herculaneum
- quiktrip 618, arnold
- quiktrip 646, high ridge
- rocket 4206, high ridge
- rocket 4207, imperial
- rocket 4229, fenton
- rudr llc, house springs
- the shanty llc 1, fenton
- vp get n go, de soto
- wallis petroleum lc 508, cedar hill
- wallis petroleum lc 514, arnold
- wallis petroleum lc 518, barnhart
- zingersmart #1 1, arnold
Combination Grocery/Other · 39
- cvs 10071, arnold
- cvs pharmacy 10025, crystal city
- dollar general 13971, de soto
- dollar general 19033, festus
- dollartree 9005, crystal city
- dollar general 11136, cedar hill
- dollar general 11997, arnold
- dollar general 1200, crystal city
- dollar general 1202, de soto
- dollar general 1234, house springs
- dollar general 13184, barnhart
- dollar general 16513, hillsoboro
- dollar general 20647, festus
- dollar general 21963, dittmer
- dollar general 22226, hillsboro
- dollar general 2227, pevely
- dollar general 22397, de soto
- dollar general 24159, herculaneum
- dollar general 2931, arnold
- dollar general 30219, hillsboro
- dollar general 3519, hillsboro
- dollar general 6782, house springs
- dollar general 9123, high ridge
- dollar tree 2494, arnold
- dollar tree 2548, festus
- dollar tree 4072, arnold
- dollar tree 7999, de soto
- dollar tree 857, high ridge
- johns butcher shoppe, festus
- karsch's village market, hillsboro
- karschs village market, barnhart
- save a lot 45128, pevely
- walgreens 10540, de soto
- walgreens 4702, high ridge
- walgreens 4972, arnold
- walgreens 5058, arnold
- walgreens 5666, house springs
- walgreens 7050, festus
- walgreens 7761, barnhart
Super Store · 11
- dierbergs arnold 7, arnold
- price chopper, house springs
- schnucks 122, high ridge
- schnucks 127, arnold
- schnucks 237, arnold
- schnucks 731, festus
- target stores t- 1278, arnold
- walmart 1514, arnold
- walmart 313, high ridge
- walmart sc 152, de soto
- walmart sc 69, festus
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 41010, arnold
- aldi 41011, crystal city
- aldi 41068, high ridge
- desoto save a lot, de soto
- radeackar ag market inc, cedar hill
- save-a-lot 24462, cedar hill
Large Grocery Store · 2
- herrell's market, imperial
- save-a-lot, house springs
Farmers' Market · 1
- de soto farmers market, de soto
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- richards produce, festus
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- marys market, festus
Small Grocery Store · 1
- imperial farmers market, imperial
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Missouri
Compare Jefferson County vs Adair County → · All Missouri counties →
Food access nationally, Missouri in context
Jefferson County sits inside Missouri (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Jefferson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jefferson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County? ▼
Is Jefferson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jefferson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
Data Sources & Methodology
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →
Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.